Can you get bed bugs from laundromat

Is it possible to get bed bugs from a public laundromat? September 25, 2011 11:24 AM   Subscribe

Is it possible to get bed bugs from a public laundromat?

I've been using our local cleaners who charge by the pound because I'm paranoid about using a public laundromat in NYC due to bed bug paranoia. Is it possible to get bed bugs from public washers and dryers?

posted by TreborDuncan to Home & Garden (12 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite

Best answer: High dryer heat kills bedbugs. If you were to pick something up in the washer, you'd kill it in the dryer (as long as you're using the high heat). I understand bed bug paranoia, believe me, but the truth is that there are a lot of other ways it's more likely you'd pick up the little beauties.
posted by OmieWise at 11:29 AM on September 25, 2011

If your cleaners is anything like mine, they do the wash in the exact same machines as the people who come in, so there's really no difference.
posted by griphus at 11:31 AM on September 25, 2011 [3 favorites]

Absolutely possible, yes. Ditto for the cleaners.
posted by Sys Rq at 11:32 AM on September 25, 2011 [2 favorites]

(And really, anywhere. Theatres, restaurants, offices, etc.)
posted by Sys Rq at 11:33 AM on September 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

Yeah, you can get bedbugs anywhere. I haven't heard any particular paranoia about the laundromat but I don't live in NYC.
posted by stoneandstar at 11:40 AM on September 25, 2011

You can definitely get them at a laundromat. You can also get them by sitting in a movie theatre chair, checking your coat at the coat check in a club, or from many many other things.
posted by Flood at 12:13 PM on September 25, 2011

Response by poster: thanks for the replies. i know there are many ways you can get them, i just wasn't sure if it was more likely at the laundromat than other places.
posted by TreborDuncan at 12:15 PM on September 25, 2011

You could pick up bedbugs at the movie theatre, or sitting in a comfy chair at your local used bookstore or coffee shop.
posted by KokuRyu at 1:37 PM on September 25, 2011

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Washing clothes and bedding is a simple and cheap method of killing all bed bugs. It is a very important part of both do-it-yourself bed bug control, and when you have professional pest control company apply insecticides. Washing will kill some of the bed bugs, but it is the heat of drying that will kill any remaining bed bugs. With a few common-sense practices, you can easily disinfest clothes and ensure these items do not become bed bug hiding places as you remove bed bugs from the rest of your home.

Key steps in washing clothes to control bed bugs 

There are three main steps to think about when washing items to remove bed bugs. These steps include: sorting clothes; washing and drying; and storing clean clothes.

Sorting clothes:

• In the infested area, pre-sort clothes as you would when you normally wash clothes and place each sorted pile into its own plastic bag. Make note of the washing instructions. This will allow you to set the highest allowable wash and dry temperatures for your clothes.
• Separate dry-clean-only clothes because these should not be made wet, but they may be placed in a dryer.
• Seal the bags prior to moving your laundry. This will prevent bed bugs from moving into other areas of your home or the Laundromat.

Washing and drying clothes

• Tip each bag into a washer (or the dryer for dry-clean-only).
• When each bag is emptied, fold the bag opening into the center then wrap the rest of the bag around the opening.
• Immediately put empty bags into another clean bag and seal before disposal.
• Wash and dry the clothes on the hottest temperature the fabric can safely withstand.
• For dry clean clothes that are able to be placed in a dryer, put into a dryer on at least medium to high setting and run the dryer for at least 30 minutes. Then take dry clean clothes to a professional cleaner’s for cleaning and pressing. Drying will kill the bugs but not clean the clothes.
• If you want to only kill bed bugs and do not need to wash your clothes, simply putting infested items in the dryer for 30 minutes on high health will kill all the bed bugs.

Storing cleaned clothes

• 
  Fold clothes as soon as they are removed from the dryer. If you are doing laundry in a commercial laundromat or laundry facility in an apartment complex, place the clothes immediately into a new plastic bag. Do not set your clothes on a folding table unless you have inspected the table for bed bugs.
• Keep the clean clothes in bags until you arrive at your apartment.
  • If you have successfully controlled bed bugs in your home, take the laundry out of the bag and put away.
  • If you still have an infestation, keep the folded laundry in the bag and remove clothes as needed. This will prevent the clothes from becoming reinfested.

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